Inside the Erdtree, Horace sensed the explosion in Leyndell. His brow furrowed slightly, and he merely waved a hand. Golden light gathered beside him, and Radagon's figure began to emerge from the void.
Within seconds, an entirely unscathed Radagon stood before him, his expression as sour as ever.
Miquella watched curiously, tilting his head. "Well? Did Brother Godwyn win?"
Horace did not answer directly. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly into a mysterious smile. "Win? Hmph. All I can say is that he didn't lose."
The revived Radagon flexed his wrists, his bones cracking. He nodded in agreement.
"I'll count that as passing his first hurdle... but the old Law failed to give way to the new one properly. He has to overcome the old Law himself, so I summoned that beast over there... I'll revive here anyway, so I don't need to worry about certain ill-intentioned people..." As he spoke, Radagon shot a glare at the innocent-looking Miquella.
Horace picked up the explanation. "Radagon is the chief examiner, but he isn't the final stage. He can only decide whether to acknowledge the new Law. If it earns his acknowledgment, the successor naturally won't need to face the Avatar of the old Law. That counts as victory."
He paused. "But someone who resorts to tricks, like Godwyn, must pass the second half-face everything that came before... either pass properly through his ideals or prove himself through strength. I won't allow someone unworthy of the position to become king!"
Radagon continued, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice. "So what he's facing now isn't me. It's the Elden Beast, the entire accumulated weight of the Golden Order. You're quite lucky. The Golden Order hasn't been running for long, so the Elden Beast won't be too powerful... heh, probably."
Miquella nodded